Whitgar Morrisis a mixed Morris side. and is the tenth and newest Morris side on the Isle of Wight. Dancing mainly in the Cotswold tradition.

Formed in March 2015 by Brian Reeves as the Tutor

Debbie Smy. Keeper of the grids.

Alan Garnett. Scribe. Contact. 07729612467. whitgar.morris@yahoo.co.uk or see us on facebook

Michelle Hall. Keeper of the purse strings.

The side takes its name from one of the first Jutish Kings (the other one was Stuf (now you know why we chose Whitgar))

The Team colours are Purple, and a personal choice of any other colours, making a colourful display during the Dance.

Jutish Kingdom Historic note

The Isle of Wight is a 147-square-mile (380 km2) island off the south coast of England. By the late fourth or early fifth centuries AD, Roman troops and officials had withdrawn from Britain. In Bede‘s ecclesiastical history, Vecta , along with parts of Hampshire and most of Kent, was settled by Jutes. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Cerdic with his son Cynric invaded and conquered the island Slaughtering the Christian population in the year 530. The Chronicle states that upon the death of Cerdic in 534, the island was given to his nephews, who were Stuf and Whitgar. It is open to question whether “Whitgar” was a real person or came from a misunderstood place name. The “Men of Wight” were known as “Whitwara”. Carisbrooke was known as the “Fort of the Men of Wight,” or “Whitwarasburgh”. Either of these names could have been changed to the name “Whitgar” The element gar can mean “spear”, but it also survives in place names as gore “promontory”. According to the traditional historical record, the island became a Jutish kingdom ruled by King Stuf and his successors until the year 661 when it was invaded by Wulfhere of Mercia and forcibly converted to Christianity at sword point. When he left for Mercia the islanders reverted to paganism. The Isle of Wight was the last stronghold of paganism in England